Written Answers

Wednesday 3 May 2000

Scottish Executive

Cancer

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether all patients in the Tayside Health Board area who require the anti-cancer drug Taxotere are receiving this drug.

Susan Deacon: This information is not available centrally. The treatment of patients with cancer is a matter for specialists experienced in the management of cancer and the question of whether individual patients might benefit from treatment with Taxotere is a matter for the clinical judgement of the specialist concerned.

Cancer

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients in each health board area have received the anti-cancer drug Taxotere over the last 12 months.

Susan Deacon: The information requested is not available centrally.

Climate Change Levy

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the net yearly costs in the first year of implementation of the climate change levy to (a) the dairy industry and (b) the whole agriculture industry in Scotland.

Henry McLeish: As a tax measure, the climate change levy is a matter reserved to the UK Government. I understand it is not possible to say with precision what the effects of the climate change levy will be on individual sectors in view of the many factors involved.

Drug Misuse

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering preparing a rescue plan for Crew 2000, the harm reduction and drug information centre in Edinburgh.

Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive has received no specific approach from Crew 2000 for assistance. I visited them on 21 March and no mention was made of their present difficulties.

  The Scottish Executive wrote to Crew 2000 on 1 March confirming its continuing financial support of £26,136 under section 10(1) of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, and this has been accepted and welcomed by the organisation. Crew 2000 has also applied for funding under section 16b of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 and this is presently receiving consideration. We expect to announce our decisions soon.

  I understand that the local Drugs Action Team (DAT) approached Crew 2000 in April suggesting a way forward. The DAT decided on 20 April to offer funding assistance of £30,000 and this has been welcomed by Crew 2000.

Environment

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what role it will have in the consultation announced recently by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions into the possibility of setting up Marine Environmental High Risk Areas, and whether it will involve the Transport and the Environment Committee in any response to the consultation.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is participating in the DETR consultation exercise. Our view on this matter, which will reflect the Executive’s transport, environmental and marine protection interests, will be copied to the Transport and Environment Committee. It is of course open to the Transport and Environment Committee to respond separately.

Finance

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4569 by Mr Jack McConnell on 6 April 2000, on what specific years since 1990 Treasury funding was reduced as a result of the operation of the ceiling under the Barnett formula when European Structural Fund grants were taken into account.

Mr Jack McConnell: As I explained in response to question S1W-4569, there is no "ceiling" under the Barnett formula.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what was the total amount of expenditure in 1999-2000 on treatment and care services, excluding drug education or drug awareness sessions, on people with drug problems in Scottish prisons.

Angus Mackay: Due to the multiplicity of tasks performed by nurses, drug workers and others working in prisons, it is not possible to be precise. Scottish Prison Service estimate that they spent about £6.5 million on drug treatment and case services in 1999-2000.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of expenditure is planned for prison-based treatment and care services, excluding drug education or awareness projects, for 2000-01 and 2001-02.

Angus Mackay: Estimates of future Scottish Prison Service expenditure in this area are not yet available. However, they hope that the amount spent will increase over the period.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of "ring fenced" funding was available for drug treatment and care services, excluding drug education and drug awareness sessions, in Scottish prisons in 1999-2000.

Angus Mackay: The Scottish Prison Service does not ring fence budgets in this area.

Rural Affairs

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is able to announce the outcome of the applications received for grants from the Scottish Rural Partnership Fund for 2000-01.

Ross Finnie: Awards totalling more than £2.7 million from the Scottish Rural Partnership Fund have been made. £1.533 million from the Executive's Rural Challenge Fund – £863,000 already committed to ongoing projects and £670,000 for new projects – and £1.116 million from the Executive's Local Capital Grants Scheme – £736,000 for committed funding and £430,000 for new projects. Lists of the new projects are available in SPICe.

Teacher Training

Ms Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the monitoring of initial teacher education.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Arrangements are being developed in collaboration with the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, Higher Education Institutions, the General Teaching Council, education authorities, schools, teachers' associations and HMI to introduce a more consistent wide-ranging approach to internal and external review of initial teacher education. Following a pilot external review in 2001-02, a programme of external reviews which will cover all teacher education institutions will begin in 2002-03.

  In the interim, I have asked HM Inspectors of Schools, in terms of the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998, to undertake a review of the preparation given to student teachers to teach literacy. They will report on current good practice and also make recommendations for improvement. That review will take place in 2000-01 and will be undertaken by HMI in partnership with other key partners in initial teacher education. I will request other such reviews as necessary.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Scottish Parliament Logo

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether a patent application has been made regarding the Scottish Parliament "logo", whether any previous application had been made for any proposed Scottish Parliament "logo", and what were the associated costs.

Sir David Steel: Application for a patent is not appropriate in this instance. An application for registration of the Scottish Parliament logo as a trademark has been made to the Trademark Registry of the Patent Office.

Scottish Parliament Logo

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer how many Scottish Parliament "logo" designs were commissioned by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body and at what cost individually and in total.

Sir David Steel: Only one logo design has been commissioned for the Scottish Parliament. Redpath were commissioned to propose design ideas, one of which was based upon the winning entry in the students competition held last year. One of the designs proposed by Redpath was developed for full design and production as the logo. The design costs are commercial-in-confidence, but the overall project costs, which cover several aspects including copyright, design, and trademark application, are around £20,000.

Scottish Parliament Logo

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer when the proposed Scottish Parliament "logo" will be laid before the Parliament for ratification or otherwise and why the "logo" has been printed on Scottish Parliament documentation prior to such ratification or otherwise.

Sir David Steel: One of the primary functions of the SPCB is to provide property, staff and services for the Parliament’s purposes. Provision of a logo is the provision of property for the Parliament’s purposes and so it was considered by the SPCB that ratification by the Parliament was not a requirement. However, as stated in the written answer to PQs 5764–5766, consultation with business managers took place during the selection process.

Scottish Parliament Logo

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the proposed Scottish Parliament logo is to be subject to any application for copyright; if so, to whom and what the penalties will be for any breach of copyright.

Sir David Steel: The SPCB has copyright in the logo and there is no requirement for an application for copyright as such. If any third party were to breach the SPCB’s copyright, infringement proceedings under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 could result. Any penalty for breach of copyright would be for determination by a court.

Scottish Parliament Logo

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether any consultations have been held with the Lord Lyon regarding the logo proposed for use by the Scottish Parliament.

Sir David Steel: Consultations with the Lord Lyon have of course been held during the process of selecting the logo and he has provided his professional advice and support. He has granted the necessary permissions for the logo.